Epoxy versus Polyurethane Coating

[alfrescoguy]

Hey all,
I understand polyurethane top coats beat epoxy because they resist UV better, won't get brittle, are not porous, and adhere better.

I have a new 3 car garage and have been having a tough time deciding between epoxy and polyurethane (polyurea) base coatings. Poly is supposed to adhere better to the prepped floor than epoxy but it costs more.

I want to have this done for me versus ordering a kit. Any thoughts or experience with poly bases?
Thanks much
Rex

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

In our experience, Polyurea should be predicated by an epoxy Primer. The primer is thinner and has a longer open time, creating a better bond. It will also diminish the risk of bubbling in the Polyurea.

Polyurea is more flexible and in many cases more chem and wear resistant. Of course it is UV stable.

Also, I would not call epoxy brittle but less flexible (exceptions) and is not more porous, it’s not porous at all.


This is not a theory lesson, our crew installs all of these products everyday. This allows us real world feedback.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Garage Flooring]

Hey all,
I understand polyurethane top coats beat epoxy because they resist UV better, won't get brittle, are not porous, and adhere better.

I have a new 3 car garage and have been having a tough time deciding between epoxy and polyurethane (polyurea) base coatings. Poly is supposed to adhere better to the prepped floor than epoxy but it costs more.

I want to have this done for me versus ordering a kit. Any thoughts or experience with poly bases?
Thanks much
Rex

There is not a perfect product but there will be a product that is perfect for you. First consider the condition of the floor. If the floor is old and not in the best of shape a thicker build epoxy will hide more. Obviously you will still need to do repairs.

In many other cases, the right Polyurea is a better choice for the DIY consumer. Virtually unlimited pot life, no complicated mixing and simple installation.

In all cases we need to consider what the product will be exposed to and have a look at the data sheet

 

[Armorpoxy]

Epoxy like our www.armorcladepoxy.com or Polyaspartic like our SPGX are great base coats, we don't recommend polyurethane as a base coat.

Polyurethanes are excellent and widely-used topcoats. We offer quite a few different topcoats based on requirements.